The Lies We've Weaved
by DivineWriting
Summary: Fourteen year old Albus Potter has landed himself in an unthinkable mess. It's a mess that even his Aunt Hermione, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, may not be able to clean up.
1. Happy Holidays

*disclaimer* I own none of these characters. They all belong to the fabulous J.K. Rowling.

* * *

><p>Hermione Granger leaned back in her chair and tilted her neck to the left, and then rolled it to the right, hoping to loosen some of the kinks that'd been creeping up on her. The dozens of papers in front of her, all emblazoned with the Ministry's seal in the upper right hand corner, blurred out of focus as she gently rubbed her eyes and yawned.<p>

The house was quiet tonight, thank Merlin. Rose and Hugo had been home on Christmas holiday for less than a week, but had successfully managed to drive Hermione and Ron up the walls with their incessant bickering, slammed doors, and general teenage moodiness, mostly on Rose's part.

Rose was now at the dreaded age of fourteen when she had the uncanny ability to turn everything that Hermione said into an argument, or want to die of embarrassment whenever they were in public together. Hermione felt like she was walking around land mines with her words and actions, but tonight she just couldn't do it any longer. She was drowning in Ministry work, and having Rose and Hugo as her background noise was making matters more frustrating. So, Hermione did what any good parent would do when their children were driving them crazy.

"Why don't you go to gran's tonight?" Hermione suggested a few hours earlier to Rose, right after the young witch had threatened to hex her brother, which was practically loud enough for the Improper Use of Magic Office at the Ministry to hear her.

Hermione stood in the doorway of her daughter's room, leaning against the frame, waiting for a response. The Potter-Weasley kids spent nearly every waking minute at their grandparent's house. They could always find something to do. If not, sure as the sky was blue, Molly weasley would find something for them. Tossing gnomes, perhaps.

Rose sat up on her bed with her long legs drawn to her chest, holding a wizarding gossip magazine in her right hand. Her red hair fell in messy ringlets around her shoulders, and she looked at her mother out of the side of her eye.

"Do you ever knock?" Rose said in a bored tone, flipping a page of her magazine.

Hermione folded her arms and regarded her daughter calmly. For them to look so much alike, save for the hair color, they were as different as night and day. Rose had inherited her mother's wit, sure. But the personality was all Ron's. No, it was worse than Ron's.

Rose was a girl of her own creation.

"You know how I feel about you reading those rubbish gossip columns," Hermione said, pointing at Rose's magazine. The picture on the front showed a young, blonde witch brightly flash her white teeth and then turn to kiss a handsome, dark-haired boy on the cheek who'd just moved into the frame. The words "How to Make Him Yours!" flashed across the cover.

Rose didn't take her eyes away from the page she was reading. "Dad always knocks."

Hermione sighed loudly. She could feel another battle stirring, and it was one that she didn't have the strength to sit through.

"So, you don't want to go to your gran's tonight?"

Rose made a show of yawning and stretching before finally putting the magazine down. She looked at her mother with wide, innocent blue eyes. Hermione could feel the sarcasm coming before Rose opened her mouth.

"And miss James and Teddy play wizard chess all night?" Rose ruffled her already ruffled hair to make her curls even bigger. Then she shook her head. "Not a chance."

Rose's phone, which she only used to communicate with Albus, beeped twice. Rose flipped the screen open and then quickly shut it.

"On second thought, Mum, I should get out the house more." Rose slipped on a green jacket, and a pair of boots, and skirted past her mother and down the stairs.

Hermione didn't bother to ask why Rose needed a jacket when using the Floo Network. Instead, she yelled, "Take your brother with you!"

That had been a little over an hour ago, and Hermione still couldn't focus. The papers in front of her began to make less and less sense, to the point where she didn't know what she was reading anymore.

One stack of papers informed her that dementors had been sighted over London last night, each paper containing different eye witness accounts. Another stack said that six breakouts had happened in Azkaban over the last seventy-two hours, accompanied by a set of names and personal histories of the escaped criminals. It suddenly felt like the wizarding world was being turned on its head...again; and it was up to Hermione to keep everything organized and under control.

The last pile in front of her listed the number of cases of underage magic that had been reported in the last week. All of the young and guilty witches and wizards had received their notices of expulsion from their respective schools, signed by Hermione herself, except for one.

Hermione sighed, tiredly, and stared unblinkingly at the red notice in front of her.

** ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER - 14 YEARS OF AGE**

** HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY **

** SLYTHERIN HOUSE**

Hermione's thoughts ran wild every time she looked at the paper. She'd already called off the letter that was supposed to have been delivered to Harry and Ginny's house last night. Stalling for time was hard, and she didn't know what else could be done. Hermione put her head in her hands and closed her eyes.

Her head snapped up when she heard the familiar _pop!_ of Ron apparating into their living room. Hermione's heart pounded as she quickly slid the red notice under another stack of papers, shuffling the sides together so that it wouldn't stick out. She looked up just in time to see her husband walk into the kitchen.

"Hey." Hermione tried to smile, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. Ron picked up on it immediately.

"Long day?" Ron asked, nodding at the table. He bent down to kiss her, and then set his own folder full of papers on the table.

"Not as long as you would think," Hermione said, trying to cover her dim mood.

Ron sighed, allowing the events of his own hectic day to be expelled from his body. His eyes scanned the kitchen excitedly, and he pointed to the ceiling.

"It's quiet," Ron said, his eyes brightening a little. He smiled enough for the both of them. Rose and Hugo were either gone or had finally killed each other.

"It's quiet," Hermione agreed, nodding.

"Did the Third War break out while I was gone, and there are bodies upstairs that you don't want to tell me about?"

Hermione laughed lightly. "I sent them to your mother's. They've been shouting at each other all night."

"Ah," Ron said, sliding out of his chair. He came up behind Hermione's seat and began to massage her shoulders. "Speaking of shouting," he said, kissing her neck. "We should head over to the couch and make our own noise." He kissed her again, and Hermione inhaled his scent. After working in the joke shop all day, Ron always smelled of candy, mild sweat, and freshly wielded contraptions like love potions.

"Hmm..." Hermione kissed him. "Tempting, but I have to finish this first," She said, patting the papers in front of her.

Ron pouted and continued to massage her shoulders. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, 'Mione. You have to let yourself take a break sometimes. You need to relax."

Hermione was quiet, but Ron knew that she was silently agreeing with him.

"How about we head to the Burrow?" He suggested.

Hermione raised her eyebrows, unable to believe that she was about to quote her daughter.

"And watch you and Harry play wizard chess all night? Not a chance."

"Oh,c'mon. If you're good, I'll let you play too," Ron said, sliding his hands down Hermione's arms. He kissed the side of her head.

Hermione stood up and stretched and yawned. Ron's old Chudley Canons sweatshirt that she was wearing rose up a bit over her jeans. Two kids and twenty-two years later, Hermione still looked like she did when they were in their last years at Hogwarts. Just more bags under her eyes now. It was amazing, actually, the lack of drastic of change in Hermione over the years. Though, admittedly, it was a little disconcerting for Ron since he WAS showing small signs of aging.

Still, it was crazy for Ron to stop and really think about how far they'd come together. Hermione was every bit of reserved and professional as she'd always been, but when the two of them were alone? Reservations and modesty and all forms of lady-like behavior in Hermione were tossed to the wind. Even after all these years, Ron had to sometimes stop and do a double-take to ensure that Hermione- The Hermione Granger- was in front of him, saying or doing things completely out of her character.

When Hermione finished stretching, she stepped closer to Ron and slid her thumbs along the band of his work pants. She smiled at him coyly, her brown hair framing her face perfectly.

"I'll be good then," She said quietly, her breath tingling Ron's ear. She grabbed his hand and apparated them out of the house with a _crack!_

* * *

><p>The Burrow was unsurprisingly crowded. It usually was whenever the kids were home from Hogwarts, but especially during the holiday season. Fred II and Louis were in the sitting room right off the main entrance, their heads bowed together, trading chocolate frog cards.<p>

Lucy and Dom walked up the stairs chatting excitedly and giggling to each other. Lucy was taller than the last time Hermione had seen her, and she was sporting a new pair of large, but rather fashionable square rimmed glasses as her blue and bronze Ravenclaw scarf trailed behind her. The girls waved happily at Ron and Hermione as they passed and continued up the steps.

The smell of pumpkin pies and butterbeer wafted through the home, mixing in cozily with the soothing sound of the roaring fireplace in the living room.

Ron and Hermione found their nephews, James and Teddy, sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over what looked to be an intense game of chess, their mugs of butterbeer sitting in front of each of them. James was wearing a maroon sweater with his initial stitched across the front. A gift from gran Weasley last Christmas. They walked into the kitchen just in time to see James's pawn smashed to pieces.

Ron surveyed the board quickly and silently. Then he walked up to James and whispered in his ear. James smiled, looking like the spitting image of his father in that second, and looked up at Teddy.

"Knight to H3," He said to Teddy, grinning widely.

The move put Teddy in an impossible position, one that Hermione didn't know or care to understand.

"Oi! You can't cheat for him, Uncle Ron," Teddy said incredulously, frowning at the board. "He'll never learn to play properly."

Ron patted Teddy's back, gingerly, and chuckled.

"Where's gran?" Ron asked the boys. James shrugged his shoulder, already surveying his next move. Teddy pointed upward.

"I think she's put Hugo in some sort of time-out."

Hermione frowned and stepped closer to the table. "What do you mean, Teddy? Why?"

"Dunno," Teddy said. "He's been upstairs for about a half hour now."

Hermione was already heading out of the kitchen and heading towards the stairs. She passed Lily and Molly, who were sitting on the hearth rug by the fire, playing with Lily's cat. The girls chatted animatedly and smiled at Hermione as she passed. Roxanne, Hermione noticed, was sitting in one of the oversized lounge chairs, her bare feet casually dangling over the edge as she read one of those gossip magazines Rose seemed to have taken a liking to.

Hermione instantly had a sinking feeling. Rose followed Roxanne practically everywhere. She looked up to her like a big sister. All the younger girls did, really. And now, seeing Roxanne without Rose, especially when everyone else had certainly seemed to pair off, gave Hermione the suspicion that her daughter wasn't in the Burrow at all.

"Roxie?" Hermione called.

Roxanne tilted her head back in the chair, so that her world was turned upside down. Her long, black hair tumbled over the arm.

"Oh, hey, Aunt Hermione. What's up?"

"Is Rose here?"

Roxanne looked puzzled. Then she sat upright and swiveled around in the chair to face Hermione. Lily and Molly glanced up too, now, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"No. Hugo told us that she stayed at home..." Roxanne said, glancing at her cousins on the rug, just to make sure she remembered those details correctly. The younger witches nodded. Lily piped up this time. "He said she was sick."

Hermione folded her arms and nodded slowly. "Really. Okay...and Hugo's upstairs?" She asked, just as Ron came into the room.

"Yup. With gran and my mum and dad," Lily said. "Is everything okay, Aunt Hermione?"

"Everything's fine, Lily," Ron answered for his wife, who had already taken off toward the stairs.

Ron was on her heels in a few seconds, and they stopped on the third landing when they heard Hugo's unmistakable crying.

Ron pushed the door open and Harry, Ginny, and Molly Weasley came into view. Hugo was sitting on the bed in front of the adults, sobbing. Harry was knelt on the ground, eye level with his nephew, while Ginny stood with her arms folded, with a stern look on her face and a severe ponytail to match.

"What the bloody hell is going?" Ron asked, alarmed, moving into the room.

Hugo's eyes went wide when he saw his parents. He was shaking his head, tears still spilling.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hugo asked.

"Go ahead, Hugo," Ginny said in her no-nonsesne voice. "Why don't you tell your mum and dad what you just told us," Ginny said, nodding Ron and Hermione.

"They made me promise not to say anything," Hugo said, still crying. More than anything, Hugo disliked being put on the spot. It made him feel sick.

"Hugo, what are you on about?" Ron said, stepping closer to his son.

"Albus," Ginny said sharply, looking at Ron, her own eyes a bit glossy. "Is going to be expelled from Hogwarts. And now he and Rose have gotten it into their heads to take off."

"Take off?" Hermione said. "What-"

"Hugo, what did Albus do?" Harry said calmly, cutting Hermione off.

"I told you, I don't _know_ what he did. I just overheard him and Rose talking yesterday," Hugo was crying profusely, and his cheeks were red. "She made me swear not to tell anyone that he was expelled!"

Hermione's cheeks flushed.

"Did you know about this?" Ginny asked Hermione.

A silence fell over the room, as all eyes landed on Hermione, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. Cases of underage magic always had to pass by her desk.

Hermione sighed, feeling defeated. "Yes. I did. I received the notice last night."

Mrs. Weasley put a hand on her chest and took a deep breath. Harry got up and went to stand beside Ginny, who looked hurt and a little surprised.

Ron was silent beside his wife. Everyone was silent, save for Hugo and his uncontrollable sobs.

"Be a dear and go back downstairs, Hugo," Molly said, pointing in the direction of the staircase just outside the door. Hugo sniffed deeply and then got up to leave. He closed the door behind him.

All eyes were still on Hermione. "I didn't know how to tell you all. I-"

Ginny held her hand up and closed her eyes, like she was too exhausted to face this situation.

"What did Albus do, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

A hush fell over the room. A really low and agonizing kind of silence.

"At 10:13 last night," Hermione said softly. "Albus cursed Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius is now in St. Mungos."


	2. The Life & Lies of Albus Severus Potter

Ginny Weasley had always considered herself to be a practical witch, one who could remain unusually calm in the face of adversity, while she assessed all sides of a situation. When she knew enough to voice her own opinions, they were always firm and direct. Always to the point. And they were said with such confidence that it made everyone else wonder how they could have ever thought anything differently.

Now was not one of those defining moments.

Ginny paced the small bedroom, walking from the door to the wall, her arms folded, eyes slightly narrowed as she listened intently to the conversation taking place. Her footsteps echoed lightly on the old, wooden floor- creating an odd sense of background noise to Hermione's words. Admittedly, Ginny was making Ron a bit dizzy.

When Ginny crossed in front of him again, Ron put his arm out to stop her. He slid his arm around his sister's shoulder and pulled her closer to him and Hermione. Ginny sighed and rubbed her right temple. Her eyes were burning with confusion and anger. The room felt like it was closing in on her, like in one of those terrible muggle horror films where the walls move in on their claustrophobic victims.

Albus. _Her Albus _was in trouble. No, that was an understatement.

Harry and Ginny had been up to Hogwarts multiple times on James's behalf, sitting in on one too many behavioral meetings with Professor McGonagall for blown up corridors, slipping Extendable Ears into the girls' lavatory, and showing up to classes in a more than unacceptable state. That was typical James behavior, though. Forever the prankster.

Albus was different. Reserved. Calculating. Ambitious. It was no surprise to the family when those strong qualities landed him, along with Rose, in Slytherin House. Slytherin no longer held those negative connotations that it had shouldered for so long, at least not visibly. It was a perfect fit for Albus, and it was there that he exceled in Potions and Charms, cheered on James at every Quidditch match- despite the House differences, and was able to find his own version of "the golden trio" like his father had done before him. Hogwarts felt like more of a home to Albus than Godric's Hollow ever had, and not in an angsty teenager kind of way either. Being on the school grounds just felt _right_. Comfortable.

Albus would never do anything to jeopardize that comfort.

After a few minutes, Ginny realized she'd barely heard a word of what Hermione had been saying. She rubbed her temple again and held up her hand to pause her sister-in-law.

"Hermione, could you please just get to the point," Ginny said.

She hadn't meant for her words to sound so cross- not in the least- but her head was spinning, and nothing was making much sense.

"_Why _did Albus curse Scorpius? He wouldn't do something like that. They're best mates." Ginny's voice was strained and higher than normal.

Harry shifted from his place on the bed and scratched his mess of black hair. "I wanted to hex Ron plenty times while we were at Hogwarts," Harry admitted shamelessly, leaning back on the palms of his hands. Ron scrunched up his nose and threw his best friend a most disapproving look.

Ginny rounded on Harry, but Ron gripped her shoulder tighter and kept her pressed to his side to prevent her from completely lashing out.

"You wanted to hex him, Harry. Not put him in the bloody hospital," Ginny said, throwing her hands up. She turned to survey the room. "Why are you all so calm? Am I the only one concerned that Albus just got himself expelled? We have to talk to the Ministry, arrange a meeting with McGonagall. _Something._" The anger that had been slowly building in Ginny was now creeping from its hiding place and into her neck and up to her cheeks.

"Ginny, dear," Mrs. Weasley said quietly from her place by the door. "We're all very concerned, but Albus has to be tried by the Ministry. Hogwarts can't help him."

"I know that, Mum!" Ginny said angrily, looking at Mrs. Weasley. She exhaled loudly, and then to Hermione. "Just tell me why," She said.

Hermione seemed to shrink back a little, shifting from foot to foot. She hated this. Delivering this kind of news was too much of a conflict of interest. But there was no one else in the Ministry in her position, with her set of credentials. It made everything that much more uncomfortable.

"I don't know why," Hermione admitted quietly, looking around the room at everyone. She cleared her throat before beginning again. "The tracking on Albus's wand put him at Malfoy Manor at 10:13 last night. I don't know what he was doing there. The report didn't tell me that." She shifted from foot to foot. "Albus is scheduled to meet with me, privately, tomorrow morning. And then in front of the Ministry leaders next Tuesday to be tried."

Ginny shook her head, and her eyes gleamed with unimaginable anger that was meant for everyone and no one, all at once. "You've been sitting on this information for twenty-four hours, Hermione?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrow. "Honestly, please tell me it hasn't been that long."

Hermione sighed and shoved her hands in her back pockets. "I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to talk it over with Albus first before I brought it to anyone, especially to you and Harry. I wanted to get to the bottom of this mess to avoid something like this," Hermione said, gesturing around the room, taking in Mrs. Weasley's sadness and confusion, and the solemn look plastered across Harry's face.

Ginny threw her hands up for the second time and let out a chuckle of disbelief. "Well, thank Merlin his parents didn't need to be immediately notified." She peeled herself away from Ron and began pacing again, releasing her long red hair from its tight bun in the process. "So if you'll excuse me while I leave, Hermione, and let you _get to the bottom of it_."

"Hey," Ron said, pulling Ginny back and gently shaking her shoulder, trying to make her see reason. "That's not fair. This isn't Hermione's fault."

Harry stood up, finally taking some action, and wrapped his arms around Ginny. She sighed and buried her head in his chest.

"This isn't happening," Ginny whispered, snaking her own hands around Harry's waist. "Albus can't be expelled."

Harry rubbed Ginny's back, and looked at Ron and Hermione over his wife's head.

"Do you guys know if Rose was with Albus last night? Maybe Scorpius invited them over to hang out or something."

"No, I don't think she was," Hermione said, folding her arms. "Rose said…" Hermione paused, her mind flashing back to the conversation she'd had with Rose last night. Hermione looked at Ron, shook her head and sighed, realizing she'd been played for a fool. "Rose told us she was turning in early last night." The room grew quiet.

Mrs. Weasley, still leaning against the door, moved over slightly to twist the knob. She opened the door and called down the steps.

"Roxanne, come up here, please," Mrs. Weasley said. The room grew silent as the adults stood in an awkwardly misshapen circle, trying to make sense of whatever was happening.

A minute later, Roxanne came shuffling through the door, tall and thin with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, looking more like George every day, only with a beautiful, bronze glow to her skin.

"Yeah, Grams. What's-" Roxanne paused upon surveying the room. Her Aunt Ginny was near tears; Uncle Ron was uncharacteristically quiet; Aunt Hermione and Uncle Harry looked like they wanted to be anywhere but in that room.

"Wrong?" She finished, cautiously entering the room fully. Mrs. Weasley closed the door behind her granddaughter, and regarded her seriously.

"Roxanne," Mrs. Weasley began. "Now, this is serious, dear. Did Rose tell you where she was going last night?"

Roxanne frowned. "Do you honestly think she tells me everything?"

"Yes." The reply from everyone resounded off of the thin walls of the room.

"Oh, alright," Roxanne said. "Yes, she told me. Scorpius Malfoy's father is on business in Yorkshire. Merlin knows where his mum is half the time. Anyways, Scorpius thought it nice to have a holiday party. Bring in the new term right, and all that nonsense," Roxanne said all of this very matter-of-factly. When she got to rambling, there was no stopping her. So, the adults let her go on without interruption.

"It was just their Slytherin year that was invited. Rose had me pick out an outfit fitting for the occasion, you see." Roxanne's face lit up. "So, a couple of days ago, we went into London to do some shopping. Oh, you all should've seen the dress! I have magnificent taste, if I do say so myself. Rose was going for a really atrocious piece, but I-"

"Roxanne," Ginny said, closing her eyes and cutting off her niece. "The party. What happened?"

Roxanne pursed her lips, slightly affronted at being cut off. "I don't know what happened. Rose promised she'd tell me all about it when she got here tonight, but…well, you know the rest."

Everyone was silent, letting this new information wash over them.

"Is everything okay?" Roxanne asked, eyeing her uncles and aunts suspiciously.

Mrs. Weasley stepped in and took her granddaughter by the shoulders, steering her toward the door. "Just fine, dear. Why don't you go on back downstairs and keep Lily and Molly busy."

"But-"

"That's a good girl," Mrs. Weasley said, kissing Roxanne on the cheek and closing the door.

"So Rose was with Albus last night when it happened," Ron said. "What if they went back there?"

"To the Manor?" Harry said, glancing at Ron.

"It's worth a shot" Hermione said. "I just saw Rose an hour ago, and I'm willing to bet she and Albus are together. They couldn't have gone far."

"Alright, then. Why are we still standing here?" Ginny said. She quickly put her hair back into a bun and moved away from Harry's embrace.

"Maybe Ron and I should go," Hermione suggested. Ginny raised her eyebrows, looking between Ron and Hermione, and then back at Harry.

"You're joking," Ginny said. Her mind was reeling.

"We're his godparents, Ginny. Maybe it'd be easier for Albus to talk to us first, instead of you and Harry- so he can get out his side of the story without feeling…I don't know, pressured or anything."

Ginny raised her eyebrow, and the room was deathly silent.

"My son has been expelled from Hogwarts," She began slowly, not taking her eyes off of Hermione. "And you want me to stay here while you got out and look for him, so he won't feel pressured to explain himself?"

"Well, when you put it like that," Ron said, thoughtfully. Hermione elbowed him in the arm.

"What about Rose?" Ginny challenged. "I'm _her_ godmother. What if this situation has something to do with her as well, and she doesn't want to speak to either you or Ron about it? If that's the case, maybe we should just let them come back on their own terms."

Harry slumped back down on the bed, looking defeated. He put his hands up.

"I have a crazy idea," Harry said. "How about Ron and I go, and you two can stay here and unwind with a bit of firewhiskey. No offense, but I think you both could use some. We'll bring them back safely."

"We don't know for certain where they are," Hermione said.

"Well, we know where they're _not," _Harry said. "And I'm certain they wouldn't have gone to St. Mungos. They medics there would have already notified Draco and Astoria about the incident. Albus and Rose wouldn't want to be at the hospital when Scorpius's parents arrive. They've probably gone back to Malfoy Manor- to the scene of the crime, for lack of a better phrase. Or maybe just to Wiltshire in general. I say we start there."

No one spoke for a moment. Wherever Albus and Rose ran off to, everyone took mild - very mild- comfort in the fact that at least they were together. They'd come back soon enough, but Ginny couldn't wait that long. Who knows what was running through her son's mind at this very moment.

Ginny shook her head, not liking this suggestion which excluded her.

"Harry, you-" Ginny began.

"I think that's a good idea, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said quickly from her place by the door. She moved more into the room, and put one hand on the small of Ginny's back, and her other around Hermione's waist. "Bring them back safely, and then we can really figure this mess out."

Mrs. Weasley guided both women out of the room, surprisingly, without another word.

Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"Malfoy Manor?" Ron asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Malfoy Manor," Harry confirmed.

The two men apparated out of the room with a sharp _crack!_


End file.
